Audrey Hepburn :: Biography

Audrey Hepburn was loved all over the world and was a very influential, successful actress. She was known for acting, modeling, and dancing. Many women in the world looked to Audrey as their idol. She was influenced by many things that happened during her early life. In Brussels, Belgium Audrey Kathleen Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929. As an infant she almost nearly died from a case of whooping cough because her mother did not believe in doctors she believed in prayers only (Gitlin 1). Audrey was different from a lot of kids when growing up she was a shy, but had a wild imagination. She imaged a fairly castle with nature’s wonders of trees or bushes (Gitlin 3). Hepburn attended an academy for girls in Kent from 1935-1938 (Audrey Hepburn). Audrey and her mother, Ella, were abandoned by Audrey’s father because he was so involved with the Fascist movement. He was very motivated by his increased political passions (Gitlin 6). Audrey’s Grandparents took her and her mother fifty miles southeast of Amsterdam and helped then through the hard time of Audrey’s dad leaving them. After some time had passed on Audrey’s father, Joseph moved to London and asked for visitation rights (Gitlin 6). In 1939- 1945 Hepburn traine d in ballet in Arnhem Conservatory. Audrey became so well at doing ballet in 1944 she danced for groups of people to collect money for underground movement. Later she said, â€Å"The best audience I ever had made not a single sound at the end of my performance’’ (Audrey Hepburn). While attending boarding school, World War II broke out but Audrey focused on ballet. Ella did not feel safe in their location because of the war. The two of them relocated to Holland but soon no country will be safe in Europe because of the German attack (Gitlin 8). Ella and her daughter had to be separated during the war for a while because of all the danger zones. One of the last planes was traveling from England to Holland and they managed to make it. This was the last time Audrey would ever be able to see her father again because of his conversions to Nazism was complete (Gitlin 8 ). Audrey was able to enroll in Arnhem Conservatory of music and dance during this hard ship. The school wasn’t the best in Europe, but they did help her out with her posture and flexibility.